Steven McWhirter: 2015 World Solo Drumming Champion

Glasgow – October 17, 2015 – Steven McWhirter of Inveraray & District earned the 2015 World Solo Drumming Championship held at Glasgow Caledonian University in an extensive three-round format that narrowed a field of 58 (comprising heats of 20, 19 and 19) to a semi-final of two 30-contestant heats, to a final of 12 playing in an MSR and a Hornpipe & Jig event, with the aggregate winning. The contest began at 9 am and finished around 7 pm. It was the fifth consecutive world title for McWhirter, and his sixth overall. McWhirter won both the MSR and Hornpipe & Jig events.

The record for World Solo victories is held by Jim Kilpatrick, with 16. Kilpatrick was the subject of controversy earlier in the week when Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia announced that Blair Brown, who finished fourth in the solo event, would be the band’s new leading-drummer. The news was a hot topic of discussion at the competition.

Overall
1st Steven McWhirter
2nd Michael McKenna, St Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
3rd Jake Joergensen, ScottishPower (Scotland)
4th Blair Brown
5th Stephen Creighton, St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
6th Eric Ward, Greater Glasgow Police Scotland (Scotland)

MSR
1st Steven McWhirter
2nd Michael McKenna
3rd Blair Brown
4th Jake Joergensen
5th Eric Ward
6th Stephen Creighton
Judges: Greg Dinsdale, Joe Noble, Sandy Steele

Hornpipe & Jig
1st Steven McWhirter
2nd Michael McKenna
3rd Jake Joergensen
4th William Glenholmes, Cullybackey (Northern Ireland)
5th Blair Brown
6th Stephen Creighton
Judges: Gordon Craig, Ciaran Mordaunt, Paul Turner

Also competing in the Final, but not in the prizes were Neil Bruce, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland); Grant Cassidy, St Laurence O’Toole (Ireland); Craig Lawrie, Lomond & Clyde (Scotland); Gurvan Sicard, Inveraray & District (Scotland); and Marcus Wenlock, Cullybackey (Northern Ireland).